Title:NIH Basic Behavioral and
Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet) Short-term Interdisciplinary Research Education Program for New Investigators (R25)

Announcement Type

New

Update: The following
update relating to this announcement has been issued:

August 16, 2010 - IMPORTANT NOTE! NIH has eliminated the error correction window for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond. As of January 25, all corrections
must be complete by the due date for an application to be considered on-time. See NOT-OD-10-123.

NOTICE: Applications submitted in response to this
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Federal assistance must be submitted
electronically through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using
the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide.

APPLICATIONS MAY NOT BE SUBMITTED IN PAPER FORMAT.

This FOA must be read
in conjunction with the application guidelines included with this announcement
in Grants.gov/Apply for Grants (hereafter called Grants.gov/Apply).

A registration process
is necessary before submission and applicants are highly encouraged to start
the process at least four (4) weeks prior to the grant submission date. See Section IV.

Purpose.This funding opportunity
announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) as part of the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social
Science Opportunity Network (OppNet) solicits short-term R25 Research
Education Project applications that will focus on providing creative and
innovative education research experiences for
new scientists in basic behavioral and social science research (b-BSSR).
The goal of this initiative is to support the growth of a cohort of
scientists with research expertise in b-BSSR to further the understanding
of fundamental mechanisms and patterns of
behavioral and social functioning relevant to the health and well-being of
individuals and populations.

Mechanism of Support. This FOA will use the NIH Research
Education (R25) grant mechanism. Research education programs may not be transferred
from one institution to another, unless strongly justified (see Section VI.2).

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. OppNet has dedicated $1.5 million to
capacity-building grants in FY2011. The nature and scope of proposed
projects will vary across applications; OppNet expects the awards to vary
accordingly. Consequently, the total amount awarded and the number of
awards pursuant to this funding opportunity will depend on the submission
of sufficient numbers of meritorious applications and the availability of
funds.

Budget and Project Period. Budgets for direct costs of up to $150,000 for up to one-year project
duration may be requested. The total project period for an application
submitted in response to this FOA may not exceed 1 year. Although the size
of award may vary with the scope of the education program proposed, it is
expected that applications will not exceed total direct costs of $150,000.

Application
Research Strategy Length: The R25 application Research
Education Program Plan (uploaded using the Research Strategy section)
of the PHS398 Research Plan Component (SF424 Application Guide, Section
5.5) may not exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams,
and charts.

Eligible Project Directors/Principal Investigators
(PDs/PIs). Individuals
with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the
proposed research are invited to work with their institution/ organization
to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented
racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are
always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

Number of PDs/PIs. More
than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple PDs/PIs) may be designated on the
application.

Number of Applications. Applicants
may submit more than one application, provided each application is
scientifically distinct.

Resubmissions. Resubmission
applications are not permitted in response to
this FOA.

Renewals. Renewal
applications are not permitted in response to this FOA.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Nursing Research
(NINR) as part
of the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet)
solicits short-term R25 Research Education Project
applications that will focus on providing creative and innovative education
research experiences for new scientists in basic behavioral and social science
research (b-BSSR). The goal of this initiative is to support the growth of a
cohort of scientists with research expertise in
b-BSSR to further the understanding of fundamental mechanisms and patterns of
behavioral and social functioning relevant to the health and well-being of
individuals and populations. Overall goals include: 1) encourage new investigators to engage in the field of basic behavioral and
social science while also facilitating their long-term career development as
principal investigators within the field; and 2) support research on how to
best transfer b-BSSR knowledge into biomedical and/or
other fields of research (e.g., physical sciences, engineering, and
mathematics). Educational partnerships between institutions including, research
institutions and clinical and primary care organizations, are highly encouraged
in order to broaden research educational
opportunities and, ultimately, increase the number of basic biomedical and
other health-related researchers trained in the basic behavioral and social
sciences field at large.

This FOA uses the R25 Research Education grant mechanism, which supports only educational activities focused on basic
behavioral and social sciences research, and may not be used for support of
non-research clinical training. However, this mechanism may be used to provide
basic behavioral and social science research
education to scientists in clinical training or in a clinical research track
within a clinical training program or from biomedical or other fields of research (including but
not limited to physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics). Formats for the research education programs may vary to
include single or multiple short courses, seminars, workshops, or
structured short-term research experiences; or curriculum development, design,
implementation and evaluation.

ABOUT OPPNET

OppNet is a trans-NIH initiative
that funds activities that build the collective body of knowledge about the
nature of behavior and social systems, and that deepen our understanding of
basic mechanisms of behavioral and social processes. All 24 NIH Institutes and Centers that fund research and four Program Offices within
the NIH Office of the Director (ICOs) co-fund and co-manage OppNet. All OppNet
initiatives invite investigators to propose innovative research that will
advance a targeted domain of basic social and
behavioral sciences and produce knowledge and/or tools of potential relevance
to multiple domains of health- and lifecourse-related research. Applicants
should understand that the NIH IC that made this FOA available to the public is
not necessarily the NIH Institute or Center that
ultimately will manage a funded OppNet project. For more information about
OppNet and all its funding opportunities, visit http://oppnet.nih.gov.

OppNet uses the NIH definition of basic behavioral and
social science research (b-BSSR,
http://obssr.od.nih.gov/about_obssr/BSSR_CC/BSSR_definition/definition.aspx)
to determine application responsiveness. Consequently, OppNet strongly
encourages prospective investigators to consult this definition, OppNet’s
answers to frequently asked questions about b-BSSR
(http://oppnet.nih.gov/about-faqs.asp), and answers to frequently asked
questions regarding this specific RFA (use this segment and insert website, if
applicable). See this FOA’s Scientific Contacts section for individuals with expertise in the research subject matter and the
OppNet initiative.

BACKGROUND

Broad and fundamental research education in the basic behavioral and social
sciences (b-BSSR) is needed to develop qualified individuals and ensure viability of the workforce, with core competencies in the theoretical underpinnings and
methodologies for careers in b-BSSR. While the NIH has supported other programs
targeted toward established, mid-career and senior investigators, to support
their development of research capability in b-BSSR,published research has indicated the
value of cross-disciplinary research opportunities for graduate and medical
students that later shaped their career interests and research productivity.
Among the benefits to participants were improved
confidence in designing and conducting research in newly exposed research areas
as well as increased rates of interest to pursue new projects in the new areas
or research.

A recent inquiry of the health care research community
indicated that improvement of the quality of research education in b-BSSR is strongly needed. This
community recognized that highly trained investigators operating in
multidisciplinary teams are critical for effective utilization of the many
profound developments and discoveries from the basic
sciences to explore successfully the interconnections of brain, body and
environmental stimuli. In order to accelerate the availability of a competent
workforce, OppNet offers an opportunity to bridge the gap in training between
pre-doctoral students and established investigators
in b-BSSR, and further build and promote early career b-BSSR training programs.

Ultimately, interdisciplinary institutional research education programs can offer early stage
investigators the opportunity to develop a
multidisciplinary training program to promote better cross-disciplinary
communication and integration among basic (and even applied) disciplines. Such
a program has the potential to lead to more productive collaborative efforts
and greater use of b-BSSR methods in studies of
behavioral and social processes; methodology/measurement; and complex models of
biological, behavioral, and social interactions. Further, a well-trained
workforce has the potential to contribute to new discoveries that will enhance understanding of the etiology of a broad spectrum of
health-related disorders as well as implications for developmental trajectories
and prevention and treatment.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The ultimate goal of this solicitation is to increase the
number of scientists in b-BSSR by developing
effective cross-disciplinary research education programs. An increase in trained
scientists allows for the acceleration of research to better understand the
etiology, pathology, and progression/remission of every disease and/or disorder. The focus of basic behavioral and social
science research (b-BSSR) is to clarify and expound upon knowledge of
underlying mechanisms and processes that can improve understanding, prediction,
prevention and management of disease, and promotion of
health and well-being. Behavioral and social factors encompass both the social
and biological context of behavior, and often interact with biological factors
(bi-directionally) to influence health and illness outcomes at the level of the
individual, ethnic or cultural group, organization,
community or population. B-BSSR also involves the development and refinement
of procedures for measuring and analyzing behavior, psychological functioning
or the social environment. A recent inquiry of the health care research community indicated that improvement of the
quality of training in b-BSSR is strongly needed. While basic behavioral and
social science research has been supported by NIH for a number of years, the
advancement of basic biomedical technologies, computational
resources, and other research promotes emergent opportunities to
foster research that further examines the intersection of b-BSSR with biomedical and other
fields of research (e.g., physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics).
Thus, this solicitation provides an opportunity to
build and strengthen capacity in new and early-stage investigators for b-BSSR,
thereby accelerating the availability of a competent biomedical research
workforce.

Such approaches would include establishment of new collaborations for cross-disciplinary translation of
knowledge in the basic behavioral and social sciences. These interdisciplinary
educational programs are likely to involve active collaborations or special
arrangements between institutions and/or departments
such as those with research center support grants, schools of public health,
departments of community and preventive medicine, and other departments and
institutions that have the necessary expertise and resources to fulfill the
objectives of this FOA. Any of these entities may act
as the applicant organization, as long as the qualifications of the
participants and the focus of the program are on the education of early-stage researchers to
incorporate basic behavioral and social science principles, theories and methods into their research projects. Applicants should seek to conduct small
research grants relevant (but not limited) to the following b-BSSR research
areas:

Health
Behavior - New strategies to improve and sustain
behavior change such as Basic behavioral processes
such as habit formation, the development of automatic associations including
cognitive automaticity, and non-goal directed motivational processes. These
may include social and contextual factors that could be integrated with the cognitive neurosciences to improve understanding of how
behaviors are maintained over time.

Social
Stratification - And social gradients or processes for sorting components of
society into a dynamic system of layers or classes such as power, prestige, and wealth, and the intergenerational transmission of those
properties. Prior research has demonstrated a direct relationship between
health and quality of services across the gradient spectrum, and resultant
disproportionate levels of negative health related problems.
The emphasis of research in this area is to broaden measures in the U.S. beyond
a primary focus on social proxies for SES such as income and education.

Social
Environment –A broader approach of the
conceptualization, operationalization, and analysis
of social context is needed that includes multilevel and multiscale measures
(e.g., multi-level modeling; GIS; social network analyses; ecological momentary assessment
techniques). These may include conceptual and methodological approaches to
emergent properties of social environments above the
level of the individual and further explication of the mechanisms through which
the social environment shapes health outcomes.

Self
Regulation – Refine measures and theoretical
conceptualizations of basic processes of social,
personality and developmental psychology, including, cognition, emotion and
behavior. For example, approaches may utilize approaches combining
self-regulation with the fields of economics and neuroscience to map processes
over time and across developmental life periods.

Sleep
and Circadian Rhythms – Prior research has established connections between
disrupted circadian regulation, disordered sleep, and adverse health outcomes.
Furthermore, mutations in genes involved in regulation of circadian rhythms have been shown to have effects on cognitive
behavior (e.g., learning and memory), addictive behavior, and mood (e.g.,
aggression). Alterations in social systems and social learning and behavior
are generated by altered sleep processes, such as
sleep deprived parents who exhibit less sensitivity and lower frustration
tolerance to their infants. A focus is needed on research to understand the
biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying the reciprocal interactions of biological
processes of sleep with behavioral processes and
variables in the social environment.

Stress
- Psychosocial stressors, including social (e.g., person-person, person-family, and
person-peer group interactions), behavioral, environmental, and cognitive
factors) have been found to increase the risk of
human morbidity and mortality. Prior research has emphasized the biological
pathways through which stress has its health effects, but more focus is needed
on the behavioral mechanisms involved as well as direct effects on disease initiation and progression. Advances in developing and
validating conceptually-based, comprehensive measures of psychosocial stress at
multiple levels are needed. Such measures could incorporate variations in
exposures, environments, cognitions, and responses,
and examine linkages of stress with behavioral changes across the lifespan of
animals and humans.

OppNet expects applicant institutions to propose their own
creative and innovative research education programs. Examples of potential
programs include, but are not limited to, the
following:

Educational/research activities and experiences that enhance
the participation and commitment of basic biomedical researchers to careers in
the basic behavioral social sciences.

Provide
mentored basic behavioral and social science clinical
research opportunities designed specifically for clinical residents.

Encourage
postdoctoral fellows/residents to embark on research projects directly
applicable to basic behavioral and social science.

Develop
or enhance the basic behavioral and social sciences
research curricula and mentoring provided during residency training and/or
create research training tracks within residency programs.

Improve
the quality of mentoring in basic behavioral and social sciences research
areas, particularly improvements in the retention and
advancement of basic behavioral and social scientists at research institutions.

Provide
educational experiences relevant to the conduct of systems science approaches to
theory-building, conceptual model development,
measurement and analysis of complex basic social and behavioral systems.

Provide
basic behavioral and social science research career enhancement opportunities
for new and early-stage investigators at the intersection of basic biomedical
(e.g., evolutionary biology, biopsychology,
neuroscience, neuroeconomics), clinical, and other fields of research (e.g.,
physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics).

Interdisciplinary
educational and research experiences that prepare new and early-stage investigators to conduct research at the intersection of basic
biomedical (e.g., evolutionary biology, biopsychology, neuroscience,
neuroeconomics), clinical, epidemiological, and other fields of research (e.g.,
physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics) or
to translate approaches from the basic behavioral and social sciences to basic
biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and other fields of research.

This FOA will use theNIH Research Education Program Grant (R25) award
mechanism. The Project Director/Principal Investigator
(PD/PI) will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing
the proposed project.

This FOA uses “Just-in-Time” information concepts (see SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide). It also uses the
non-modular budget format. Applicants must complete and submit budget requests
using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) Budget Component found in the
application package for this FOA.

Education Program grant support is for
new projects only; renewal applications will not be accepted. Resubmission of a
previously reviewed education program grant application may not be submitted.

2.
Funds Available

Because
the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to
application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will
also vary. Although the financial plans of the IC(s) provide support for this
program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the
availability of funds.

OppNet has dedicated $1.5 million to capacity-building
grants in FY2011. The nature and scope of proposed projects will vary across
applications; OppNet expects the awards to vary accordingly. Consequently, the
total amount awarded and the number of awards pursuant to this funding
opportunity will depend on the submission of sufficient numbers of meritorious
applications and the availability of funds.

Budgets for direct costs of up to $150,000 for up to
one-year project duration may be requested. The total project period for an
application submitted in response to this FOA may not exceed 1 year. Although
the size of award may vary with the scope of the education program proposed, it
is expected that applications will not exceed total direct costs of $150,000.

Allowable Costs:

Allowable costs must be consistent with NIH policy and be
reasonable, allocable, well documented and fully justified for the education
program proposed in the application. Grant funds may not be used to supplant
funds otherwise available at the applicant institution, nor can they be used to
circumvent or supplement funds provided to individuals supported by Ruth L.
Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs.

Personnel:

These requested expenses must be itemized in Sections A and
B, as appropriate, of the Research & Related Budget. Individuals (PDs/PIs)
designing, directing, and implementing the education program may request salary
and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program.
Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's
policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated
cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities with participants are
considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then any costs
associated with the mentoring and other interactions with participants are not
allowable costs from grant funds).

Other Program-Related Expenses:

These expenses must be itemized, as appropriate, in Sections
C. (Equipment), D. (Travel), and F. (Other Direct Costs) of the Research &
Related Budget. Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons,
and other program-related expenses must be justified as specifically required
by the proposed education program and must not duplicate items generally
available for educational programs at the applicant institution.

Participant Costs:

Participants are those individuals who benefit from the
proposed education program. In some instances, participants may be paid if
specifically required for the proposed education program and sufficiently
justified. Participant costs must be itemized in Section E.
(Participant/Trainee Support Costs) of the Research & Related Budget. Amounts
for all participants must conform to the established, consistently applied
salary and wage policies of the institution and reflect the percentage of
time/effort devoted to the program.

Participants in the education program may receive partial
costs of meals unless such costs are furnished as part of the registration fee.
Participants may also receive funds to defray partial tuition, and other
education-related expenses.

Expenses for foreign travel must be exceptionally well
justified.

Because this is an educational and not a training mechanism,
non-U.S. citizens may participate in this program. However, requests for
participation of non-U.S. citizens under the auspices of this FOA should be
made with the understanding that this mechanism is not to be used to circumvent
or supplement NRSA training mechanisms. Unless strongly justified on the basis
of exceptional relevance to the NIH/IC mission, education programs should be
used primarily for the education of U.S. citizens. Applicants are strongly
encouraged to contact Program staff (see Section VII) to discuss the
appropriate utilization of this mechanism with respect to the eligibility,
appointment, and participation of non-U.S. citizens.

Individuals supported by NIH training and career development
mechanisms (K) may receive, and indeed are encouraged to receive, educational
experiences supported by the R25 mechanism, as participants, but may not
receive salary or stipend supplementation from an education program.

Because the R25 mechanism is not intended as a substitute
for an NRSA institutional training program (T32), costs to support full-time
participants are not allowable. A full-time participant is defined for the
education program as an individual supported for 40 hours/week for a
continuous, 12-month period.

Facilities
and Administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants are not
included in the direct cost limitation. See NOT-OD-05-004.

NIH
grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the
applications submitted and awards made in response to this FOA.

Any individual(s) with the
skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research
as the PD/PI is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an
application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic
groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply
for NIH support.

The PD/PI should possess the research
and education expertise, and leadership and administrative capabilities
required to develop, implement or enhance, evaluate, and disseminate an a
curriculum or education project of behavioral and social science for use in other
academic or research institutions. Further, the PD/PI must have demonstrated a
commitment to education for early stage investigators in b-BSSR and have a
regular appointment (i.e., not adjunct) at the rank of associate or full
professor or the equivalent in the academic department or research institution.
The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all
required documents and reports.

The leader at a partner institution (if
applicable) should meet these criteria as well.

More than one PD/PI (i.e., multiple
PDs/PIs), may be designated on the application for projects that require a
“team science” approach and therefore clearly do not fit the single-PD/PI
model. Additional information
on the implementation plans and policies and procedures to formally allow more
than one PD/PI on individual research projects is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.All PDs/PIs must be
registered in the NIH electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons prior to
the submission of the application (see http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt/preparing.htm for instructions).

The decision of whether to
apply for a grant with a single PD/PI or multiple PDs/PIs is the responsibility
of the investigators and applicant organizations and should be determined by
the scientific goals of the project. Applications for grants with multiple
PDs/PIs will require additional information, as outlined in the instructions
below. When considering the multiple PD/PI option, please be aware that the
structure and governance of the PD/PI leadership team as well as the knowledge,
skills and experience of the individual PDs/PIs will be factored into the
assessment of the overall scientific merit of the application. Multiple
PDs/PIs on a project share the authority and responsibility for leading and
directing the project, intellectually and logistically. Each PD/PI is
responsible and accountable to the grantee organization, or, as appropriate, to
a collaborating organization, for the proper conduct of the project or program,
including the submission of required reports. For further information on
multiple PDs/PIs, please seehttp://grants.nih.gov/grants/multi_pi.

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the
proposed education program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program
includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources
that can contribute to the planned education program. The application must have
a strong research program in the area(s) proposed for the education program and
should include a letter explaining the institutional commitment to the proposed
education program.

Participants:

Describe
who the intended participants are, and the eligibility and/or specific
educational background characteristics that essential for participation in the
proposed research education program. Identify the career levels essential for
participation in the planned program.

Number of Applications. Applicants
may submit more than one application, provided each application is
scientifically distinct.

Resubmissions. Resubmission
applications are not permitted in response to this
FOA.

Renewals.Renewal applications are not
permitted in response to this FOA.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

To
download a SF424 (R&R) Application Package and SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide for completing the SF424 (R&R) forms for this FOA, use the “Apply for
Grant Electronically” button in this FOA or link to http://www.grants.gov/Apply/ and follow the directions
provided on that Web site.

Registration:

Appropriate
registrations with Grants.gov and eRA Commons must be completed on or before
the due date in order to successfully submit an application. Several of the steps
of the registration process could take four weeks or more. Therefore, applicants
should immediately check with their business official to determine whether
their organization/institution is already registered with both Grants.gov and the Commons. All registrations
must be complete by the submission deadline for the application to be
considered “on-time” (see 3.C.1 for more information about on-time submission).

A one-time registration
is required for institutions/organizations at both:

The individual(s) designated as
PDs/PIs on the application must be registered also in the NIH eRA Commons. In the case of multiple PDs/PIs, all PDs/PIs must be registered and be assigned
the PI role in the eRA Commons prior to the submission of the application.

Each PD/PI must
hold a PD/PI account in the Commons. Applicants should not share a Commons account for both an Authorized Organization Representative/Signing
Official (AOR/SO) role and a PD/PI role; however,
if they have both a PD/PI role and an NIH Internet Assisted Review (IAR) role,
both roles should exist under one Commons account.

When multiple PDs/PIs are
proposed, all PDs/PIs at the applicant organization must be affiliated with
that organization. PDs/PIs located at another institution need not be
affiliated with the applicant organization, but must be affiliated with their
own organization to be able to access the Commons.

This registration/affiliation must
be done by the AOR/SO or his/her designee who is already registered in the Commons.

Both the PDs/PI(s) and AOR/SO need separate accounts in the NIH eRA Commons since both are authorized to view the
application image.

Note: The registration process is not sequential.
Applicants should begin the registration processes for both Grants.gov and eRA Commons as soon as their organization has obtained a DUNS number. Only one DUNS number
is required and the same DUNS number must be referenced when completing
Grants.gov registration, eRA Commons registration and the SF424 (R&R)
forms.

1.
Request Application Information

Applicants must
download the SF424 (R&R) application forms and the SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide for this FOA through Grants.gov/Apply.

Note: Only the forms package directly attached to
a specific FOA can be used. You will not be able to use any other SF424
(R&R) forms (e.g., sample forms, forms from another FOA), although
some of the "Attachment" files may be useable for more than one
FOA.

The SF424 (R&R)
Application Guide is critical to submitting a complete and accurate application
to NIH. Some fields within the SF424 (R&R) application components, although
not marked as mandatory, are required by NIH (e.g., the “Credential” log-in
field of the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” component must
contain the PD/PI’s assigned eRA Commons User ID). Agency-specific
instructions for such fields are clearly identified in the Application Guide.
For additional information, see “Frequently Asked Questions – Application
Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”

The SF424 (R&R)
application has several components. Some components are required, others are
optional. The forms package associated with this FOA in Grants.gov/APPLYincludes all applicable
components, required and optional. A completed application in response to this
FOA includes the data in the following components:

Proposed research should provide special opportunities
for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources,
populations, or environmental conditions in other countries that are not readily
available in the United States (U.S.) or that augment existing U.S. resources.

SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS

Applications with
Multiple PDs/PIs

When
multiple PDs/PIs are proposed, NIH requires one PD/PI to be designated as the
"Contact” PI, who will be responsible for all communication between the
PDs/PIs and the NIH, for assembling the application materials outlined below,
and for coordinating progress reports for the project. The contact PD/PI must
meet all eligibility requirements for PD/PI status in the same way as other
PDs/PIs, but has no other special roles or responsibilities within the project
team beyond those mentioned above.

Information
for the Contact PD/PI should be entered on the SF424 (R&R) Cover
component. All other PDs/PIs should be listed in the Research &
Related Senior/Key Person component and assigned the project role of
“PD/PI.” Please remember that all PDs/PIs must be registered in the eRA Commons prior to application submission. The Commons ID of each PD/PI must be included in the
“Credential” field of the Research & Related Senior/Key Person
component. Failure to include this data field will cause the application
to be rejected.

Multiple
PD/PI Leadership Plan: For applications designating multiple PDs/PIs, the
section of the Research Plan entitled, “Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan”, must
be included. A rationale for choosing a multiple PD/PI approach should be
described. The governance and organizational structure of the leadership team
and the research project should be described, and should include communication
plans, process for making decisions on scientific direction, and procedures for
resolving conflicts. The roles and administrative, technical, and
scientific responsibilities for the project or program should be delineated for
the PDs/PIs and other collaborators.

If
budget allocation is planned, the distribution of resources to specific
components of the project or the individual PDs/PIs should be delineated in the
Leadership Plan. In the event of an award, the requested allocations may be
reflected in a footnote on the Notice of Award (NoA).

Applications Involving a
Single Institution

When all PDs/PIs are
within a single institution, follow the instructions contained in the SF424
(R&R) Application Guide.

Applications Involving
Multiple Institutions

When
multiple institutions are involved, one institution must be designated as the
prime institution and funding for the other institution(s) must be requested
via a subcontract to be administered by the prime institution. When submitting
a detailed budget, the prime institution should submit its budget using the
Research & Related Budget component. All other institutions should have
their individual budgets attached separately to the Research & Related Subaward
Budget Attachment(s) Form. See Section 4.8 of the SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide for further instruction regarding the use of the subaward budget
form.

The
R25 application must include a plan delineating the working relationship
between the applicant and partner institutions. The plan must describe the
governance, organization, communication, decision-making, and
conflict-resolution structures and procedures linking the two institutions.

Prospective
applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following
information:

Descriptive title of proposed education program.

Name, address, and telephone number of the
PD(s)/PI(s).

Names of other key personnel.

Applicant and participating institutions, if
applicable.

Number and title of this funding opportunity.

Although
a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the
review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC
staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

To submit an application in response to this
FOA, applicants should access this FOA via http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp and follow Steps 1-4. Note: Applications must
only be submitted electronically. PAPER APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED. All attachments must be provided to NIH in PDF format,
filenames must be included with no spaces or special characters, and a .pdf
extension must be used.

3.C.
Application Processing

3.C.1
Submitting On-Time

Applications may be submitted on or after the opening date and must be
successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant
institution/organization) on the application due date(s). (See Section IV.3.A. for all dates.) If an application is not submitted by the due date(s)
and time, the application may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.
All applications must meet the following criteria to be considered “on-time”:

All
registrations must be complete prior to the submission deadline

The
application must receive a Grants.gov tracking number and timestamp (or eRA
help desk ticket confirming a system issue preventing submission) by 5:00 p.m. local time on the submission deadline date.

Any
system identified errors/warnings must be corrected and the submission process
completed within the “error correction window.”

Submission to Grants.gov is not the last step –
applicants must follow their application through to the eRA Commons to check
for errors and warnings and view their assembled application!

3.C.2 Two Day
Window to Correct eRA Identified Errors/Warnings

IMPORTANT NOTE! NIH has eliminated the error correction window for due dates of January 25, 2011 and beyond.
As of January 25, all corrections must be complete by the due date for an application to be considered on-time. See
NOT-OD-10-123.

Once an application package has been
successfully submitted through Grants.gov,NIH provides
applicants a two day error correction window to correct any eRA
identified errors or warnings before a final assembled application is created
in the eRA Commons. The standard error correction window is two (2) business
days, beginning the day after the submission deadline and excluding weekends
and standard federal holidays. All errors must be corrected to successfully
complete the submission process. Warnings will not prevent the application
from completing the submission process.

Please note that the following
caveats apply:

Initial
application submission must be “on-time.”

The
AOR/institutions is expected to enforce that application changes made within
the error correction window are restricted to those necessary to address
system-identified errors/warnings. NIH may reject any application that
includes additional changes.

Proof of “on-time” submission (e.g., Grants.gov timestamp and
tracking number) and description of all changes made within the window must be
documented in the PHS 398 Cover Letter component of the application.

3.C.3 Viewing
an Application in the eRA Commons

Once any eRA identified errors have been
addressed and the assembled application has been created in the eRA Commons, the PD/PI and
the Authorized Organization Representative/Signing Official (AOR/SO) have two weekdays (Monday – Friday, excluding Federal holidays) to view the assembled application before it automatically moves
forward to NIH
for further processing.

If everything is
acceptable, no further action is necessary. The application
will automatically move forward to the Division of Receipt and Referral in
the Center for Scientific Review for processing after two weekdays,
excluding Federal holidays.

Prior to the submission
deadline, the AOR/SO can “Reject” the assembled application and submit a
changed/corrected application within the two-day viewing window. This
option should be used if it is determined that some part of the
application was lost or did not transfer correctly during the submission
process, the AOR/SO will have the option to “Reject” the application and
submit a Changed/Corrected application. In these cases, please contact the eRA Help Desk to
ensure that the issues are addressed and corrected. Once rejected,
applicants should follow the instructions for correcting errors in Section
2.12 of the SF 424 (R&R) application
guide, including the requirement for cover letters on late
applications. The “Reject” feature should
also be used if you determine that warnings are applicable to your
application and need to be addressed now. Remember, warnings do not stop
further application processing. If an application submission results in
warnings (but no errors), it will automatically move forward after two
weekdays if no action is taken. Some warnings may need
to be addressed later in the process.

If
the two-day window falls after the submission deadline, the AOR/SO will have the option to “Reject” the application if, due to an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue, the application does not correctly reflect the
submitted application package (e.g., some part of the application was lost or
didn’t transfer correctly during the submission process). The AOR/SO should first contact the eRA Commons Helpdesk to confirm the system error,
document the issue, and determine the best course of action. NIH will not
penalize the applicant for an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system issue.

If
the AOR/SO chooses to “Reject” the image after the submission deadline for a
reason other than an eRA Commons or Grants.gov system failure, a
changed/corrected application still can be submitted, but it will be subject to
the NIH late policy guidelines and may not be accepted. The reason for
this delay should be explained in the cover letter attachment.

Both
the AOR/SO and PD/PI will receive e-mail notifications when the application is
rejected or the application automatically moves forward in the process after
two weekdays.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness
by the CSR and responsiveness by the IC. Incomplete and/or non-responsive
applications will not be reviewed.

There
will be an acknowledgement of receipt of applications from Grants.gov and the Commons. The submitting AOR/SO receives the Grants.gov
acknowledgments. The AOR/SO and the PI receive Commons acknowledgments.
Information related to the assignment of an application to a Scientific Review
Group is also in the Commons.

Note: Since email can be
unreliable, it is the responsibility of the applicant to check periodically on
the application status in the Commons.

The
NIH will not accept any application in response to this funding opportunity
that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless
the applicant withdraws the pending application. However, when a previously
unfunded application, originally submitted as an investigator-initiated
application, is to be submitted in response to a funding opportunity, it is to
be prepared as a NEW application. That is, the application for the funding
opportunity must not include an “Introduction” describing the changes and
improvements made, and the text must not be marked to indicate the changes from
the previous unfunded version of the application.

All NIH awards are
subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations
described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable. A grantee may, at its
own risk and without NIH prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures to
cover costs up to 90 days before the beginning date of the initial budget
period of a new award if such costs: 1) are necessary to conduct the project,
and 2) would be allowable under the grant, if awarded, without NIH prior
approval. If specific expenditures would otherwise require prior approval, the
grantee must obtain NIH approval before incurring the cost. NIH prior approval
is required for any costs to be incurred more than 90 days before the beginning
date of the initial budget period of a new award.

The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of a
competing or non-competing award imposes no obligation on NIH either to make
the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made
for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award
costs incurred. NIH expects the grantee to be fully aware that pre-award costs
result in borrowing against future support and that such borrowing must not
impair the grantee's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the
approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the conduct of the project
(see theNIH Grants Policy
Statement).

6. Other Submission
Requirements

Page
limitations must be followed as outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide.

Research
education program applications will use the non-modular budget format and
"Just-in-Time" concepts. See Sections II.2 and IV.2 for budgetary guidance.

Items
2-5 of the Research Plan of the research education program application may not
exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts.

Specific
Aims (Item 2) is limited to 1 page.

The
Research Education Program Plan must be uploaded
using the Research Strategy section (Item 3 of the Research Plan). This section
may not exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and
charts as well as the partnership arrangement, if applicable.

Institutional Environment and Commitment (Component of Item 3):
Describe the institutional environment of the applicant and partner
institutions, including facilities and educational resources that can
contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of institutional commitment to the research education program
is required. Letters of institutional commitment from the applicant and partner
must be attached at line item 14 (Letters of Support). Appropriate
institutional commitment should include the provision
of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to
the planned research education program.

Key
Personnel must include the PDs/PIs as well as any other key persons (such as those involved
in developing, implementing, directing, monitoring,
evaluating, etc., who are integral to the proposed education program)
participating in the education program. Key Personnel at both the applicant and
partner institution should be included. List separately for each institution.

The
applicant organization must include its DUNS number in its Organization Profile
in the eRA Commons. This DUNS number must match the DUNS number provided at CCR registration with Grants.gov. For additional
information, see “Frequently Asked Questions – Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.”

PHS 398 Research Plan Component Sections

Page
limitations must be followed as outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application
Guide.

Specific Aims (Item 2) is limited to 1 page.

The Research Education Program Plan must be
uploaded using the Research Strategy section (Item 3 of the Research
Plan). This section may not exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs,
figures, diagrams, and charts.

Research
Education Program Plan (Item 3): The Research Education Program Plan must be uploaded
using the Research Strategy section, and must include the following components:

Proposed Research Education Program (Component of Item
3): While
the proposed research education program may complement ongoing research
training and education occurring at the applicant institution, the proposed
educational experiences must be distinct from those research training and
education programs currently receiving federal support. When research training
programs are on-going in the same department, the applicant organization should
clearly describe the distinction between the intended participants in the
proposed education program and the research training supported by the training
program. The information should include a description of the education and
career levels of the planned participants.

Institutional Environment and
Commitment (Component of Item 3): Describe the institutional
environment, including facilities and educational resources, that can
contribute to the planned Research Education Program. Evidence of
institutional commitment to the research educational program is required. A
letter of institutional commitment must be attached at line item 14 (Letters of
Support). Appropriate institutional commitment should include the provision of
adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to
the planned research education program. The following subcomponents are part of
Institutional Environment and Commitment:

Program Direction (subcomponents of Institutional Environment and Commitment): Describe
arrangements for administration of the program; provide evidence that the
Program Director is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area
related to drug abuse and addiction, and can organize and administer the
research education program, as well as evidence of institutional and community
commitment and support for the proposed program.

If multiple sites
are involved in the proposed R25 program, the applicant institution must be one
of those sites and a strong justification must be included for the use of
multiple sites.

A specific plan
must be provided to disseminate nationally any materials developed under the
auspices ofthe research education
program, e.g., Web postings, presentations at scientific meetings, workshops,
etc.

Collaboration or Partnership with Another Research
Institution (subcomponents
of Institutional Environment and Commitment): Interdisciplinary
approaches to the development, adaptation, and modification of research designs
to enhance and facilitate the rapid advancement of research that addresses
intractable health-related problems. These cross-disciplinary educational
programs are likely to involve active collaborations or special arrangements
between institutions and/or departments such as those with research center
support grants, schools of public health, departments of community and
preventive medicine, and other departments and institutions that have the
necessary expertise and resources to fulfill the objectives of this FOA. Any of
these entities may act as the applicant organization, as long as the
qualifications of the participants and the focus of the program are on the education
of early-stage researchers to incorporate basic behavioral and social science
research from basic to clinical and other research settings.

This FOA further
encourages collaborative programs involving academic clinical research departments
and basic science departments, as well as multiple academic or research
institutions such as schools of public health, departments of preventive and
community medicine, primary care organizations or other entities with
appropriate expertise for the development and establishment of educational
programs in basic behavioral and social science principles, theories and
methods.

Applicants should
describe planned processes for: (a) conducting and monitoring recruitment and
selection of participants, (b) planning research activities and selecting
mentors for participants, (c) evaluating participant progress, and (d)
assessing the quality and effectiveness of the overall education program.
Institutions, departments, and clinical sites participating in joint
applications should be involved in the planning, implementation, and assessment
processes listed above.

In the Education Program
Plan applicants must include a description of the proposed working relationship
with a partner research institution, if appropriate. The description should
include such topics as goals of the partnership, rationale for the choice of
the partner, the strengths the partner institution would bring to the
relationship, structures and procedures for implementing the partnership, as well
as key personnel at the partner institution. (To be included within the 25 page
limitation of the Education Program Plan.) Include a description of plans for
exchange and sharing of resources, including faculty, equipment, and
facilities. If multiple sites are to be used, the applicant institution must be
one of those sites and for other sites a strong justification must be included.

Program
Director/Principal Investigator (Component of Item 3): For multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan, see instructions for the Multiple
PD/PI Leadership Plan section of the Research Plan. Describe arrangements for
administration of the program, provide evidence that the Program Director is
actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to the mission
of the participating NIH components, and can organize, administer, monitor, and
evaluate the research education program, as well as evidence of institutional
and community commitment and support for the proposed program. Provide evidence
that PDs/PIs have experience and expertise in the development, implementation,
evaluation, and dissemination of basic behavioral and social science curricula,
workshops, seminar series or educational materials and techniques.

Program
Faculty/Staff (Component of Item 3): Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the participating
faculty; provide evidence that the participating faculty are actively engaged
in research or other scholarly activities related to the mission of the
participating NIH components and the goals of this FOA.

Program
Participants (Component of Item 3): Provide details
about the proposed targeted pool of individuals to be exposed to the curriculum,
educational materials and techniques. Include a description of plans for
recruiting as participants individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic
groups, women and persons with disabilities.

Recruitment and
Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity (Component of Item 3): Provide a detailed recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity
for the research education program. For those programs where individuals are
not participating, e.g. a program requesting support to develop a curriculum,
the PD/PI should indicate that this requirement is not applicable.

The NIH recognizes
a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical,
behavioral, clinical and social sciences research workforce. The NIH expects
efforts to diversify the workforce to lead to the recruitment of the most
talented researchers from all groups; to improve the quality of the educational
environment; to balance and broaden the perspective in setting research
priorities; to improve the ability to recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds
into clinical research protocols; and to improve the Nation's capacity to
address and eliminate health disparities.

Accordingly, the
NIH continues to encourage institutions to diversify their student and faculty
populations and thus to increase the participation of individuals currently
underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences
such as: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups;
individuals with disabilities; and individuals from socially, culturally,
economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited
their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Institutions are
encouraged to identify candidates who will increase diversity on a national or
institutional basis. The NIH is particularly interested in encouraging the
recruitment and retention of the following classes of participants:

A. Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the
National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences
on a national basis (see data at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/showpub.cfm?TopID=2&SubID=27 and the
report Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and
Engineering, 2007, p. 262). The following racial and ethnic groups have been
shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: African Americans,
Hispanic Americas, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and
natives of the US Pacific Islands. In addition, it is recognized that
underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial
or ethnic groups that can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented
by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program

B. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical
or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities.

C. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:

1. Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below
established low-income thresholds. These thresholds are based on family size;
published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted annually for changes in
the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health
professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels
at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml. For individuals from low income
backgrounds, the institution must be able to demonstrate that such participants
have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or they have received any
of the following student loans: Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL), Loans
for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have received scholarships from the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for
Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.

2. Individuals who come from a social, cultural, or educational
environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that
have demonstrably and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining
the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a
research career.

Recruitment and
retention plans related to a disadvantaged background (C1 and C2) are most
applicable to high school and perhaps to undergraduate candidates, but would be
more difficult to justify for individuals beyond that level of academic
achievement. Under extraordinary circumstances the PHS may, at its discretion,
consider an individual beyond the undergraduate level to be from a
disadvantaged background. Such decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis,
based on appropriate documentation.

Peer reviewers will
separately evaluate the recruitment and retention plan after the overall score
has been determined. Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the
recruitment and retention of individuals from groups underrepresented in
biomedical science—including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups,
individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally,
economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. If the recruitment
and retention plan is judged to be unacceptable, funding will be withheld until
a revised plan (and report) that addresses the deficiencies is received. Staff
within the participating ICs, with guidance from the appropriate national
advisory committee or council, will determine whether amended plans and reports
submitted after the initial review are acceptable.

Applications
without a recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity will be
considered incomplete and may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.
An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component.

Training in the
Responsible Conduct of Research (Component of Item 3): For those programs where individuals are not participating, e.g. a
program requesting support to develop a curriculum, the PD/PI should indicate
that this requirement is not applicable.

Every participant
supported by this Research Education program grant must receive instruction in
the responsible conduct of research. All Applications must include a plan to
provide such instruction. The plan must address five components (format;
subject matter; faculty participation; duration of instruction; and frequency
of instruction) as detailed in NOT-OD-10-019 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-019.html).

Applications
lacking a plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research will be
considered incomplete and may be delayed in the review process or not reviewed.
An award cannot be made if an application lacks this component. The background,
rationale and more detail about instruction in the responsible conduct of
research can be found in NOT-OD-10-019.

An award cannot be
made if an application lacks this component.

If such instruction
is not appropriate for the proposed education program, then the PD/PI must
provide a strong justification for its exclusion.

Evaluation Plan
(Component of Item 3): Although education
program grants are not typical research instruments, they do involve
experiments in education and/or dissemination of research knowledge that
require an evaluation plan in order to determine their effectiveness. A plan
must be provided for program evaluation. Benchmarks should be specified, and
specific plans and procedures must be described to capture, analyze and report
short or long-term outcome measures that would determine the success of the
education program in achieving its objectives. Where appropriate, applicants
are encouraged to include plans to obtain feedback from participants to help
identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements.

Dissemination Plan
(Component of Item 3): If a
dissemination plan is proposed, a specific plan must be provided to disseminate
nationally any findings resulting from or materials developed under the
auspices of the education program, e.g., sample curricula, web postings,
presentations at scientific meetings, workshops, etc.

Select Agent Research (Item 11): If participating faculty proposed in the Education program are
conducting or plan to conduct research involving select agents in which
participant are involved, follow the instructions in SF424, Section 5.5, and
include the appropriate information.

Resource Sharing
Plan(s) (Item 15): NIH considers the
sharing of unique research resources developed through NIH-sponsored research
an important means to enhance the value and further the advancement of the
research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated
research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be
made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within
the scientific community. If the final data/resources
are not amenable to sharing, this should be explained in the Resource Sharing
section of the application (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_faqs.htm.)

(b) Sharing Model Organisms:
Regardless of the amount requested, all applications in which the development
of model organisms is anticipated are expectedto include a
description of a specific plan for sharing and distributing unique model
organisms and related resources, or state appropriate reasons why such sharing
is restricted or not possible (see Sharing Model Organisms Policy, and NIH Guide NOT-OD-04-042.)

(c) Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS): Regardless of the amount requested, applicants seeking funding for a
genome-wide association study are expected to provide a plan for
submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designatedGWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the
repository is not possible. A genome-wide association study is defined as
any study of genetic variation across the entire genome that is designed to
identify genetic associations with observable traits (e.g., blood pressure or
weight) or the presence or absence of a disease or condition. For further
information see Policy for Sharing of
Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies(NOT-OD-07-088) and http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.

(d) Research education
programs: These programs are not generally expected to generate research
resources. However, applications are expected to include a software
dissemination plan if support for development, maintenance, or enhancement of
software is requested in the application. There is no prescribed single
license for software produced. However, the software dissemination plan should
address, as appropriate, the following goals:

Software source code should be
freely available to biomedical researchers and educators in the non-profit
sector, such as institutions of education, research institutions, and
government laboratories. Users should be permitted to modify the code and share
their modifications with others.

The terms of software availability
should permit the commercialization of enhanced or customized versions of the
software, or incorporation of the software or pieces of it into other software
packages.

To preserve utility to the
community, the software should be transferable such that another individual or
team can continue development in the event that the original investigators are
unwilling or unable to do so.

The initial review group
will comment on the appropriateness of the proposed software dissemination
plan. Program staff will also consider the adequacy of the software
dissemination plan as one of the criteria for award.

The proposed sharing plan,
after negotiation with the applicant when necessary, will be made a condition
of the award. Evaluation of annual non-competing progress reports will include
assessment of the dissemination practice by the grantee. The adequacy of the resources sharing plan and any related
data sharing plans (if applicable) will be considered by Program staff of the
funding organization when making recommendations about funding applications.
The effectiveness of the resource sharing will be evaluated as part of the
administrative review of each Non-Competing Grant Progress Report (PHS 2590). See Section VI.3., “Reporting.”

Do not use the Appendix to circumvent the page limitations.
An application that does not comply with the required page limitations may be
delayed in the review process.

SF 424 Research & Related
Other Project Information

Item
9 (Facilities & Other Resources):Describe the educational
environment, including the facilities, laboratories, participating departments,
computer services, and any other resources to be used in the development and
implementation of the proposed program. List all thematically related sources
of support for research training and education following the format for Current
and Pending Support.

SF 424 Research & Related
Senior/Key Person Profile

Key
Personnel must include the PD/PI (or multiple PDs/PIs)as well as any other key persons (such as those involved in developing, implementing,
directing, monitoring, evaluating, etc., who are integral to the proposed
research education program) participating in the
research education program.

Research & Related Budget

U.S.
applicants submitting an application with direct costs in each year of $250,000
or less (excluding consortium Facilities and Administrative [F&A] costs)
must use the PHS398 Modular Budget component.

U.S. applicants requesting more than $250,000 in annual direct costs and all foreign
applicants must complete and submit budget requests using the Research &
Related Budget component.

Complete for each budget
period requested:

A. Senior/Key Person: complete for all senior/key persons associated with
the research education program. The PD/PI (or multiple PDs/PIs)must be included here. Individuals participating in the design and implementation
of the research education program may request salary and fringe benefits
appropriate for the percent of time devoted to the
program. Normally, all personnel costs (including administrative and clerical
costs) associated with directing, coordinating, and administering the program
are not expected to exceed 25% of the total direct cost. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the
institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the
congressionally mandated cap. (If mentoring interactions and other activities
with students are considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties, then mentoring and other interactions with
students are non-reimbursable from grant funds). Limited administrative and
clerical salary costs associated distinctly with the program that are not
normally provided by the applicant organization may
be direct charges to the grant only when specifically identified and justified.

B. Other Personnel: complete for all other personnel (including clerical
and administrative staff) associated with the research education program.

C. Equipment: self-explanatory.

D. Travel: include here any travel funds requested for
senior/key persons and other personnel (i.e. those persons identified in
Sections A. and B.) associated with the research education program.

E. Participant/Trainee Support Costs: include here all allowable
categories of funds requested to support participants in the research education
program. If categories in addition to those listed in this section of the
424R&R form are needed, describe in Other. State the number of
Participants/Trainees to be supported by the proposed research education
program. Because this is an
educational and not a training mechanism, non-US citizens may participate in
this program. However, requests for participation of non-US citizens under the
auspices of this program announcement should be made
with the understanding that this mechanism is not to be used to circumvent or
supplement NRSA training mechanisms. Unless strongly justified on the basis of
exceptional relevance to the NIH mission, research education programs should be used primarily for the education of US citizens.Participants in the education program may receive a
subsistence allowance, including partial costs of meals and lodging unless such
costs are furnished as part of the registration fee. Participants may also receive funds to defray partial tuition, other
education-related, and travel expenses. Expenses for foreign travel must be
exceptionally well justified. Funds will not be provided for fringe benefits or
health insurance for participants in any research education
program. Individuals supported by NIH training and career development
mechanisms (K, T, or F awards) may receive, and indeed are encouraged to
receive, educational experiences supported by the R25 mechanism, as
participants, but may not receive salary or stipend
supplementation from an R25 program.

F. Other Direct Costs: itemize as appropriate and allowed for the research
education program. Consultant
costs, equipment, supplies, travel, and other program-related expenses must be
justified as specifically required by the proposed
research education program and must not duplicate items generally available for
educational programs at the applicant institution.

K. Budget Justification: provide a detailed justification for each category
for which funds are requested. For Section E, itemize each category of support
costs per participant and justify.

Facilities and
Administrative (F&A) Costs: F&A costs for the applicant organization and consortium participants will
be reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs, or at the actual
F&A cost rate, whichever is less.

Foreign Applications
(Non-Domestic [non-U.S.] Entities)

Indicate how the proposed project has specific
relevance to the mission and objectives of the NIH/IC and has the potential for
significantly advancing the health sciences in the United States.

Section V. Application Review Information

1.
Criteria

Only
the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

2. Review and
Selection Process

Review Process

Applications
submitted for this funding opportunity will be assigned on the basis of
established PHS referral guidelines to the ICs for funding consideration. Applications
that are complete and responsive to this FOA will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an
appropriate peer review group convened by CSR and in accordance with NIH peer review procedures (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/peer/), using the review criteria stated below.

As
part of the scientific peer review, all applications will:

Undergo
a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the
highest scientific and technical merit, generally the top half of
applications under review, will be discussed and assigned an impact/priority
score;

Receive
a written critique; and

Receive
a second level of review by the National Institute of Nursing Research National Advisory Council.

Research education program grant applications submitted in
response to this funding opportunity announcement should be characterized by
innovation, scholarship and responsiveness to the priorities and/or changing
needs of the participating ICs in meeting their objectives. Applicants are
strongly encouraged to contact program staff for current information about
targeted priorities and policies before preparing an application (see Section VII).

The mission
of the NIH is to support science in pursuit of knowledge about the biology and
behavior of living systems and to apply that knowledge to extend healthy life
and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. As part of this
mission, applications submitted to the NIH for grants or cooperative agreements
to support biomedical and behavioral research are evaluated for scientific and
technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

Overall Impact

Reviewers
will provide an overall impact/priority score to reflect their assessment of
the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the
research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following five scored
review criteria, and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project
proposed).

Scored Review Criteria

Reviewers
will consider each of the five review criteria below in the determination of
scientific and technical merit, and give a separate score for each. An
application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to
have major scientific impact. For example, a project that by its nature
is not innovative may be essential to advance a field.

Significance.Does the proposed
education program address an important problem or critical question in
education program or other critical issues as outlined in this funding
opportunity announcement (FOA)? How will implementation of the proposed program
advance the objectives of this FOA? If the aims of
the education program are achieved, will they achieve the intended purpose of
this FOA?

Investigator(s).Are the PDs/PIs, collaborators, and other researchers/educators
appropriately trained and well suited to the proposed
research education program? Is the PD/PI an established investigator/educator in the scientific
area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both
administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed education program? If the project
is collaborative or multi-PD/PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated
expertise; are their leadership approach, governance and organizational
structure appropriate for the project? Is there
evidence that an appropriate level of effort will be devoted by the program
leadership to ensure the program's objectives?If Early Stage Investigator or New Investigator, does the
PD/PI have appropriate experience to lead the program?

Innovation. Is the proposed
research education program characterized by innovation and scholarship? Does
the proposed research education program challenge and seek to shift current
education program paradigms; address an innovative hypothesis or critical
barrier to progress in the field? Are the proposed
concepts, approaches, methodologies, tools, or technologies novel for this
area? Does this proposed program duplicate, or overlap with, existing education
program or training activities currently supported at the applicant institution or available elsewhere? Adaptations
of existing education programs may be considered innovative under special
circumstances, e.g., the addition of unique components and/or a proposal to
determine portability of an existing program.

Approach.Are the overall
strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish
the specific aims of the proposed education program? Are potential problems,
alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the program is in the early stages of development, will the
strategy establish feasibility and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
Is the proposed plan for evaluation and/or dissemination of the education
program sound and likely to provide data on the effectiveness
of the education program? Is there evidence that the program is based on sound
research concepts and educational principles? Is the approach feasible and
appropriate to achieve the stated research education program goals? If the
proposed program will recruit participants, are the
recruitment, retention, and follow-up activities adequate to ensure a highly
qualified and diverse participant pool? If the program involves clinical
research, are the plans for 1) protection of human subjects from research risks, and 2) inclusion of minorities and members of
both sexes/genders, as well as the inclusion of children, justified in terms of
the scientific goals and research strategy proposed?

Environment. Will the scientific/educational environment at the applicant and partner institutions, in which the proposed
education program will be conducted, contribute to the probability of success?
Are the institutional commitment and support, equipment and other physical
resources available to the investigators adequate for
the program proposed? Will the program benefit from unique features of the
scientific environment, subject populations, or collaborative arrangements? Is
there evidence of appropriate collaboration among participating programs,
departments, and institutions? Are adequate plans
provided for coordination and communication between sites? Are
appropriate structures and procedures in place to assure the success of the
partnership?

Additional Review Criteria

As applicable
for the project proposed, reviewers will consider the following additional items in the determination of scientific and
technical merit, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Protections
for Human Subjects. For research that
involves human subjects but does not involve one of the six categories of
research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the
justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections
from research risk relating to their participation according to the following
five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against
risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the
knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research
that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of
the six categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the
committee will evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human
subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials.

Inclusion
of Women, Minorities, and Children. When
the proposed project involves clinical research, the committee will evaluate
the proposed plans for inclusion of minorities and members of both genders, as
well as the inclusion of children.

Vertebrate
Animals. The committee will evaluate the
involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment
according to the following five points: 1) proposed use of the animals, and
species, strains, ages, sex, and numbers to be used; 2) justifications for the
use of animals and for the appropriateness of the species and numbers proposed;
3) adequacy of veterinary care; 4) procedures for limiting discomfort,
distress, pain and injury to that which is unavoidable in the conduct of
scientifically sound research including the use of analgesic, anesthetic, and
tranquilizing drugs and/or comfortable restraining devices; and 5) methods of
euthanasia and reason for selection if not consistent with the AVMA Guidelines
on Euthanasia. For additional information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/VASchecklist.pdf.

Biohazards. Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are
potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if
needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmission
Applications.Not Applicable.

Renewal
Applications.Not Applicable.

Revision
Applications. Not Applicable.

Additional Review Considerations

As applicable
for the project proposed, reviewers will address each of the following items,
but will not give scores for these items and should not consider them in
providing an overall impact/priority score.

Diversity Recruitment and
Retention Plan:
Reviewers will examine the strategies to be used in the recruitment and
retention of individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical clinical,
behavioral, and social sciences, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups,
individuals with disabilities, and individuals from socially, culturally,
economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

Training in the
Responsible Conduct of Research:Reviewers will
evaluate plans for instruction in responsible conduct of research as well as
the past record of instruction in responsible conduct of research, where
applicable. Reviewers will specifically address the five Instructional
Components (Format, Subject Matter, Faculty Participation, Duration and
Frequency) taking into account the characteristics of the proposed Research
Education program. Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE. Applications with unacceptable plans will not be funded
until the applicant provides an acceptable, revised plan.

Applications
from Foreign Organizations. As
applicable for the FOA or submitted application, reviewers will assess whether
the project presents special opportunities for furthering research programs
through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental
conditions that exist in other countries and either are not readily available
in the United States or augment existing U.S. resources.

Select
Agents Research. Reviewers will assess the information
provided in this section of the application, including 1) the Select Agent(s)
to be used in the proposed research, 2) the registration status of all entities
where Select Agent(s) will be used, 3) the procedures that will be used to
monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and 4) plans for
appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Budget
and Period of Support. Reviewers will
consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified
and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Selection Process

Applications
submitted in response to this FOA will compete for available funds with all
other recommended applications submitted in response to this FOA. The following will be considered
in making funding decisions:

Scientific
merit of the proposed project as determined by peer review.

Availability
of funds.

Relevance
of the proposed Education Programto
program priorities.

3.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

Not Applicable

Section
VI. Award Administration Information

1.
Award Notices

After the peer review of the application
is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement
(written critique) via the NIH eRA Commons.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award
(NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization. The NoA signed by the
grants management officer is the authorizing document. Once all administrative
and programmatic issues have been resolved, the NoA will be generated via email
notification from the awarding component to the grantee business official.

Selection of an application for award is not an
authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the
NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the
extent considered allowable pre-award costs. See Section IV.5., “Funding
Restrictions.”

A
final progress report, invention statement, and Financial Status Report are
required when an award is relinquished when a recipient changes institutions or
when an award is terminated.

The
Progress Report should provide information on the development and
implementation of the proposed research education program, modifications to the
research education program as originally proposed, updates on the evaluation of
the research education program and dissemination activities (if applicable),
and a list of any publications and/or other materials arising from the research
education program. To facilitate and standardize reporting, programs that
involve participants should report on education in the responsible conduct of
research and complete a Training
Diversity Report, in accordance with the PHS 2590 additional
instructions for preparing a Progress Report for an institutional training
grant.

Evaluation: In carrying out
its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request
information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program.
Accordingly, award participants are hereby notified that they may be contacted
after completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of
program development, implementation, dissemination, and other information
helpful in evaluating the impact of this program.

Publication and Sharing of Research Education Results: Investigators are
encouraged to submit reports of their findings for publication to the journals
of their choice. For each publication that results from this award, NIH
support should be acknowledged by a footnote in language similar to the
following: “This project was supported by NIH grant number ________. Its
contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily
represent the official views of the NIH.”

Failure
by the grantee institution to submit the required forms in a timely, complete,
and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any
continuation funding for the award. Forms may be found on the NIH Website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm

Final Reports: A final Progress
Report and Financial Status Report are required when an award is terminated.
Evaluation results should be included as part of the Final Progress Report.

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We
encourage your inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the
opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants. Inquiries may fall
into three areas: scientific/research (program), peer review, and financial or
grants management issues:

Human Subjects
Protection:Federal regulations (45 CFR 46) require that
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated with
reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection against
these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the subjects and others,
and the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained (http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/45cfr46.htm).

Data and Safety
Monitoring Plan:Data and safety monitoring is required for all types
of clinical trials, including physiologic toxicity and dose-finding studies
(Phase I); efficacy studies (Phase II); efficacy, effectiveness and comparative
trials (Phase III). Monitoring should be commensurate with risk. The
establishment of data and safety monitoring boards (DSMBs) is required for
multi-site clinical trials involving interventions that entail potential risks
to the participants (“NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring,” NIH Guide
for Grants and Contracts, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).

Sharing Research Data:Investigators submitting an NIH application seeking
$500,000 or more in direct costs in any single year are expected to include a
plan for data sharing or state why this is not possible (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing).Investigators should seek
guidance from their institutions, on issues related to institutional policies
and local institutional review board (IRB) rules, as well as local, State and
Federal laws and regulations, including the Privacy Rule.

Policy for Genome-Wide
Association Studies (GWAS):NIH is interested in advancing genome-wide association
studies (GWAS) to identify common genetic factors that influence health and
disease through a centralized GWAS data repository. For the purposes of this
policy, a genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic
variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic
associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the
presence or absence of a disease or condition. All applications, regardless of
the amount requested, proposing a genome-wide association study are expected to
provide a plan for submission of GWAS data to the NIH-designated GWAS data
repository, or provide an appropriate explanation why submission to the
repository is not possible. Data repository management (submission and access)
is governed by the Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or
Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies, NIH
Guide NOT-OD-07-088. For additional information,
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/.

Sharing of Model Organisms:NIH is committed to support efforts that encourage
sharing of important research resources including the sharing of model
organisms for biomedical research (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/index.htm). At the same time the NIH
recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to
subject inventions developed with Federal funding pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act
(see the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Beginning October 1, 2004,
all investigators submitting an NIH application or contract proposal are
expected to include in the application/proposal a description of a specific
plan for sharing and distributing unique model organism research resources
generated using NIH funding or state why such sharing is restricted or not
possible. This will permit other researchers to benefit from the resources
developed with public funding. The inclusion of a model organism sharing plan
is not subject to a cost threshold in any year and is expected to be included
in all applications where the development of model organisms is anticipated.

Access to Research Data through the Freedom of
Information Act:The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular
A-110 has been revised to provide access to research data through the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances. Data that are: (1) first
produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with Federal funds;
and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency in support of an
action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a regulation) may be
accessed through FOIA. It is important for applicants to understand the basic
scope of this amendment. NIH has provided guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm. Applicants may wish to
place data collected under this funding opportunity in a public archive, which
can provide protections for the data and manage the distribution for an
indefinite period of time. If so, the application should include a description
of the archiving plan in the study design and include information about this in
the budget justification section of the application. In addition, applicants should
think about how to structure informed consent statements and other human
subjects procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under
this award.

Inclusion of Women And Minorities in Clinical Research:It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of
minority groups and their sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported
clinical research projects unless a clear and compelling justification is
provided indicating that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health
of the subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43). All
investigators proposing clinical research should read the "NIH Guidelines
for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research” (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a complete copy of the
updated Guidelines is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_2001.htm. The amended policy
incorporates: the use of an NIH definition of clinical research; updated racial
and ethnic categories in compliance with the new OMB standards; clarification
of language governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with the
SF424 (R&R) application; and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH
staff and the extramural community. The policy continues to require for all
NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or proposals
and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to conduct analyses, as
appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic groups,
including subgroups if applicable; and b) investigators must report annual
accrual and progress in conducting analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic group differences.

Inclusion of Children as Participants in Clinical Research:The NIH maintains a policy that children (i.e.,
individuals under the age of 21) must be included in all clinical research,
conducted or supported by the NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical
reasons not to include them. All investigators proposing research involving
human subjects should read the "NIH Policy and Guidelines" on the
inclusion of children as participants in research involving human subjects (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm).

Required Education on the Protection of Human Subject Participants:NIH policy requires education on the protection of
human subject participants for all investigators submitting NIH applications
for research involving human subjects and individuals designated as key
personnel. The policy is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

NIH Public Access Policy Requirement:
In accordance with the NIH Public Access Policy, investigators
funded by the NIH must submit or have submitted for them to the National
Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/), an electronic version of their final,
peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly
available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. The
NIH Public Access Policy is available at (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-033.html).For more
information, see the Public Access webpage at http://publicaccess.nih.gov/.

Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information:The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued final modification to the "Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information", the "Privacy Rule", on August 14, 2002. The Privacy Rule is a federal regulation under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that governs the protection of individually
identifiable health information, and is administered and enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Decisions about applicability and implementation of
the Privacy Rule reside with the researcher and his/her institution. The OCR website (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/) provides information on the
Privacy Rule, including a complete Regulation Text and a set of decision tools
on "Am I a covered entity?" Information on the impact of the HIPAA
Privacy Rule on NIH processes involving the review, funding, and progress
monitoring of grants, cooperative agreements, and research contracts can be
found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-025.html.

URLs
in NIH Grant Applications or Appendices:
All applications and proposals
for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page limitations. For
publications listed in the appendix and/or Progress report, Internet addresses
(URLs) or PubMed Central (PMC) submission identification numbers must be used
for publicly accessible on-line journal articles. Publicly accessible
on-line journal articles or PMC articles/manuscripts accepted for publication
that are directly relevant to the project may be included only as URLs or PMC submission identification numbers accompanying the full
reference in either the Bibliography & References Cited section, the
Progress Report Publication List section, or the Biographical Sketch section of
the NIH grant application. A URL or PMC submission identification number
citation may be repeated in each of these sections as appropriate. There is no
limit to the number of URLs or PMC submission identification numbers that can
be cited.

Healthy People 2010:The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to
achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of
"Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national activity for setting
priority areas. This FOA is related to one or more of the priority areas.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

Authority and Regulations:This
program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance at http://www.cfda.gov/ and is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372. Awards are made
under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service
Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92. All awards are
subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations
described in the NIH Grants Policy
Statement.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.
In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in
which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care, or early
childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.

Loan Repayment Programs:NIH encourages applications for educational loan
repayment from qualified health professionals who have made a commitment to
pursue a research career involving clinical, pediatric, contraception,
infertility, and health disparities related areas. The LRP is an important
component of NIH's efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of
researchers by providing the means for developing a research career unfettered
by the burden of student loan debt. Note that an NIH grant is not required for
eligibility and concurrent career award and LRP applications are encouraged.
The periods of career award and LRP award may overlap providing the LRP
recipient with the required commitment of time and effort, as LRP awardees must
commit at least 50% of their time (at least 20 hours per week based on a 40
hour week) for two years to the research. For further information, please see: http://www.lrp.nih.gov/.